Demetrious Johnson Avoids Surgery After Second Diagnosis Revealed No Hernia

There is one hurdle down in making the first ever UFC flyweight title fight after Demetrious Johnson found out he’s avoiding potential surgery for a hernia.

The best news was discovered on Monday when Johnson got a second opinion from a different doctor and found out he didn’t have a hernia at all.

“Basically, what happened was when I got kicked in the groin I’m assuming, but with my testicles there’s wires that connect to the back of it, and the wires on my left side were pretty severely swollen so my doctor gave me an anti-inflammatory. He checked it out today and he was like you don’t have a hernia, the first doctor who did the search for it he misdiagnosed you for a hernia because you were so swollen down there when he was checking, that’s why he misdiagnosed you with a hernia,” Johnson told MMAWeekly.com after visiting the doctor.

While having swollen testicles sounds like no fun at all for any man, Johnson is happy that he avoids going under the knife and only has to take medication for the next couple of weeks while the swelling goes down.

“He said take it easy, give it a chance for the swelling to go down. Like when I walk around it’s fine, but when he touched it or aggravated it, it hurts for a little bit,” Johnson revealed.

“He said two weeks, the first week you know just relax with it, let it heal, and then maybe next week start doing (training). I’m getting x-rays on my hands on Wednesday because it’s still hurting. Each time I shake somebody’s hand I’m shaking it like a little (expletive) cause I don’t want anybody to touch my fist.”

The hand injury could still potentially complicate the title fight with Joseph Benavidez getting a date right now, but for the most part Johnson is still a happy man after talking to his physician on Monday.

“I’m just happy I don’t have to get surgery,” Johnson stated. “The fight between me and Joseph (Benavidez), it’s going to happen. I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about my own health first cause when I go into this fight I want to make sure I go in 100-percent instead of going into training camp with a hairline fracture on my hand or whatever.”

Knowing that what stands in front of him is the biggest fight of his young career, Johnson doesn’t want to take any serious chances that could see him face Benavidez at 75 or 80-percent.

While no fighter goes into a bout without any nagging bumps or bruises, Johnson isn’t willing to rush into the title fight with Benavidez without knowing he’s as close to 100-percent as possible.

“Everybody’s like let’s make it happen, UFC 151 which is Sept. 1, and I just want to make sure my body’s ready to go back in there and I can start training full-time again and make it happen. My No. 1 concern is my health because if I’m not healthy, it doesn’t mean anything to me. I need to be healthy first,” said Johnson.

The other factor playing a part here is that Johnson doesn’t want to tell the UFC he’s good to go and to set a date for the fight with Benavidez, and then a week or two later he finds out he shouldn’t actually be taking the fight on that timeline.

When he gives UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby a date for his return and readiness for the title bout, Johnson wants to make sure he’s actually prepared to face Benavidez on that date.

“I’m not trying to be one of those fighters who sets a date for a fight and then oh no he has to have hand surgery,” said Johnson.

“I’m making sure everything is 100-percent good to go and then it’s pedal to the metal.”